Course finder

Semester 2

Controversies in Medicine, Technology and the Environment (STIS10009)

Subject

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Visiting students must have completed at least 2 Social Science courses (i.e. Sociology, Politics, Social Policy, Social Anthropology, African Studies, American Studies, Gender/Queer Studies) at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses.

Course Summary

The course offers a range of analytical tools to address controversies, broadly understood as any instance of disagreement around scientific, technological, medical or environmental issues. Students will be exposed to different methods that will enable them to better understand how the actors involved in the controversies and their arguments evolve over time. By introducing historical, sociological, philosophical and political science perspectives, we seek to help students overcome simplistic views of controversies as easily solvable debates between truth and falsehood. We also present controversies as involving actors outside the scientific community and reflect on normative agendas for not only studying but also critically intervening in controversies. Each method will be illustrated with concrete examples from the literature on Science and Technology Studies. At the end of each session, students will be able to test the methodologies by collaboratively analysing a real-world controversy, for instance the cloning of Dolly the sheep.

Course Description

Each week introduces a different set of analytical tools for examining controversies, illustrated by empirical cases. Approaches for studying controversies include actor network theory, historical epistemology, citation analysis, feminist theories of science and technology, discourse analysis, and philosophical perspectives on modelling. Case studies include ecofeminism, the Challenger launch decision and climate modelling, among others. The course is taught through lectures followed by practical symposia. Students are required to complete one-to-three concise readings per week in advance of the lecture. Lectures provide students with a rich background to the readings (i.e. they do not duplicate the readings) and broaden students¿ repertoire of empirical cases. Discussion of the readings enables a deeper understanding of both the conceptual tools and empirical cases. During the practical symposia, students will apply the analytical tools they learn each week to analyse a real-world controversy, starting with the creation of the first cloned mammal: Dolly the sheep. They are encouraged to engage with the controversy, including adopting competing perspectives in order to develop their critical skills and ability to convey complex ideas to an informed audience.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0% Week-to-week assignment: Reading Portfolio (10%) Students will contribute to an online discussion board, commenting on the weekly readings of the course. This will be in operation in weeks 2¿10 and students will be given a single mark per substantive contribution. Overall grade of this component of the assessment will be provided at the end of the course. Assignment 1: Essay (50%) Students will apply at least one of the methodologies of analysis of the course to a controversy of their choice (up to 3000 words). Due half-way through the course. Assignment 2: Policy Brief or Blog Post (40%) Students will choose between a) a blogpost, or b) a policy brief in which they will critically analyse a controversy of their choice and convey this analysis to an informed, non-academic audience (up to 1500 words). Due at the end of the course.

view the timetable and further details for this course